Government & Politics

Despite public perception about the threat of extremists inspired by al-Qaida and the Islamic State, a new study published by the Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security at Duke University shows that law enforcement officers are more concerned about the homegrown terrorist next door.

Complaining about the accuracy of public opinion surveys is an old habit. But many campaign experts and academics think cellphones and a reluctant public have combined to cast new, deepening shadows over the tools they use to understand what the nation wants.

In a short inaugural speech as he enters his second term, James proclaimed that Kansas City is poised for greatness but that many challenges remain, including vacant and blighted housing, drive-by shootings of children and the need for more East Side development and for more jobs and businesses throughout the city.

The groundbreaking civil rights legislation, which guaranteed all U.S. citizens the right to vote regardless of skin color, celebrates its 50th anniversary Aug. 6. Lawyer Mark Johnson, who specializes in election law, talks about the recent changes to voter ID laws.

If you don’t mind veering off the beaten path a little, we have some ideas. We dispatched Kansas City Star writers in every direction to find some of the odder attractions in Missouri and Kansas. Some of these places might not be your final destination, but then again, if you like quirky, they could be. And several are right here in the Kansas City area.

The armed civilians showing up this week at military recruiting centers around the country look like people irresponsibly acting out their fantasies. These gun nuts foolishly appear to be almost hoping to get involved in some kind of shootout with a terrorist.

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A grand jury has indicted Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on felony securities fraud charges that accuse the Republican of misleading investors before he took over as the state's top law enforcement officer, a special prosecutor said Saturday.

Kathy Birjandi was heading out the door with her two sons on a sweltering morning when she encountered a politely smiling duo from the conservative advocacy group Americans for Prosperity on her porch.

Mizzou Online announced it will give a 10 percent tuition discount to Missouri students enrolled in a degree program fully online. Without the discount, online courses cost the same as classes taken on campus — $276.20 a credit hour for undergraduates.

The controversial welfare plan, which was submitted to the federal government this week, does not permit withdrawals of more than $25 per transaction per day. Out-of-state purchases also will be blocked. However, it places no limits on cash-back money received while making a purchase at a store.

Aiming to jolt the rest of the world to action, President Barack Obama moved ahead Sunday with even tougher greenhouse gas cuts on American power plants, setting up a certain confrontation in the courts with energy producers and Republican-led states.

Billionaire industrialist Charles Koch warned America is "done for" if the conservative donors and politicians he gathered at a retreat this weekend don't rally others to their cause of demanding a smaller, less-intrusive government.

Vice President Joe Biden's associates have resumed discussions about a 2016 presidential run after largely shelving such deliberations while his son was sick and dying earlier this year. But Biden has yet to tell his staff whether he will run or personally ask them to do any planning for a potential campaign, according to several people close to the vice president.